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1890 



CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS 



NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE SONS OF 
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

AS REVISED AND ADOPTED APRIL 30, 1890 



TOGETHER WITH 



LIST OF OFFICERS 



G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 

NEW YORK LONDON 

27 WBST TWENTY-THIRD ST. 2^ KING WILLIAM ST„ STRAND 

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1890 






NY. Pub. Ubi 



Ubc Iknicbccbockcr iPress, "Mew Korfe 

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G. P. Putnam's Sons 



CONSTITUTION OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY 

OF THE 

SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

ADOPTED APRIL 30TH, 1890. 

ARTICLE I. 
NAME. •' 

The Name of this Society shall be the 

"SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION." 



ARTICLE II. 
OBJECTS. 

The objects of this Society are, to perpetuate the memory 
and the spirit of the men who achieved American Indepen- 
dence, by the encouragement of historical research in re- 
lation to the Revolution and the publication of its results, 
the preservation of documents and relics, and of the records 
of the individual services of Revolutionary soldiers and 
patriots, and the promotion of celebrations of all patriotic 
anniversaries ; to carry out the injunction of Washington in 
his farewell address to the American people, " to promote, 
as an object of primary importance, institutions for the gen- 
eral diffusion of knowledge," thus developing an enlightened 
public opinion, and affording to young and old such advan- 
tages • as shall develop in them the largest capacity for 



performing the duties of American citizens ; to cherish, 
maintain, and extend the institutions of American freedom ; 
to foster true patriotism and love of country ; and to aid in 
securing for mankind all the blessings of liberty. 

ARTICLE III. 
MEMBERSHIP. 

Section i. Any man is eligible for membership, who is of 
the age of twenty-one years, and who is descended from an 
ancestor who, with unfailing loyalty, rendered material aid 
to the cause of American Independence, as a soldier or as a 
seaman, or a civil officer in one of the several Colonies or 
States, or of the United Colonies or States, or as a recognized 
patriot ; provided that he shall be found worthy. 

Sec. 2. For the purpose of making more nearly perfect 
the records of our Revolutionary ancestors and their de- 
scendants, any woman of Revolutionary ancestry may file a 
record of her ancestor's services and of her line of descent 
with any Registrar, who shall send a duplicate to the Regis- 
trar-General. 

Sec. 3. Any person is eligible for honorary membership 
subject to the limitations as to age and descent established 
in the case of active members. 

Sec. 4. The National Society shall embrace all the mem- 
bers of the Societies of the Sons OF THE American Revo- 
lution now existing or which may be established under this 
Constitution. Such Societies shall regulate all matters rela- 
ting to their own affairs, shall judge of the qualifications of 
their members, and of those proposed for membership, sub- 
ject to the provisions of this Constitution. 

ARTICLE IV. 
OFFICERS. 

Section i. The General Officers of the National Society 
shall be a President-General, three Honorary Vice-Presidents- 



General, five Vice-Presidents-General, a Secretary-General, 
Treasurer-General, Registrar-General, Historian-General, Sur- 
geon-General, and Chaplain-General, who shall be elected by 
ballot by a vote of the majority of the members present 
at the annual meeting of the National Society and shall hold 
office for one year and until their successors shall be elected, 
and who together with the Presidents of the State Societies, 
ex-officio, shall constitute a general Board of Managers, of 
which Board seven shall constitute a quorum. 

Sec. 2. An Executive Committee of seven, of whom the 
President-General shall be the Chairman, may be elected by 
the Board of Managers, which Committee shall, in the 
interim between the meetings of the Board, transact such 
business as shall be delegated to it by the Board of Mana- 
gers. 

ARTICLE V. 
DUES. 

Each State Society shall pay annually to the Treasurer- 
General twenty-five cents for each active member thereof. 
All such dues shall be paid on or before the opening of each 
annual meeting of the National Society, in order to secure 
representation therein. 

ARTICLE VI. 
MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS. 

Section i. The annual meeting for the election of the Gen- 
eral officers and for the transaction of business, shall be held 
on the 30th day of April or on the first day of May in every 
year. The time and place of such meeting shall be desig- 
nated by the Board of Managers. 

Sec. 2. Special meetings shall be called by the President- 
General when directed so to do by the Board of Managers, 
or whenever requested in writing so to do by twenty-five or 
more members representing at least five State Societies, on 



giving thirty days' notice specifying the time and place of 
such meeting and the business to be transacted. 

Sec. 3. The following shall be members of all such general 
or special meetings, and shall be entitled to vote therein : 

(i) All the officers, the ex-Presidents-General and the 
ex- Vice-Presidents-General of the National Society ; 

(2) The President, and Senior Vice-President of each 
State Society ; 

(3) One delegate at large from each State Society ; 

(4) One delegate for every one hundred members of the 
Society within a State and for a fraction of fifty or over. 

The following named officials shall be Honorary Mem- 
bers of the National Society, provided they are eligible to 
membership in the Society, but shall not be entitled to vote : 

(i) The President, the Vice-President, and the Chief- 
Justice of the United States ; 

(2) The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the 
House, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the 
Navy of the United States ; 

(3) The Governors of the States and Territories of the 
United States : 

And also the Senior officer of the Army, and the Senior 
officer of the Navy of the United States. 

ARTICLE VII. 
BY-LAWS. 

The Board of Managers shall have authority to adopt and 
promulgate the By-Laws of the National Society, to pre- 
scribe the duties of the general officers, to provide the seal, 
and to designate the insignia. 

ARTICLE VIII. 
AMENDMENTS. 

Amendments to this Constitution may be offered at any 
meeting of the National Society, but shall not be acted on 



until the next meeting. A copy of every proposed amend- 
ment shall be sent to each member, with a notice of the 
meeting at which the same will be acted upon, at least thirty 
days prior to said meeting. 

A vote of two thirds of those present shall be necessary to 
its adoption. 



This Constitution was signed by Delegates as follows 




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BY-LAWS OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY 



SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

The Committee on Constitution were directed to prepare 
a code of By-Laws and report the same to the Board of 
Managers. 

That committee reported on the 31st day of May, 1890. 
Their report was adopted, and the following By-Laws, 
together with the Constitution, are now the Laws of the 
Society. 

ARTICLE I. 
ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 

All nominations of officers shall be made from the floor, 
and the election shall be by ballot. A majority shall elect. 
The nominations may be acted upon directly, or may be 
referred to a committee to examine and report. 

ARTICLE II. 
OFFICERS. 

The duties of the general officers shall be such as usually 
appertain to their offices, and they shall have such other 



II 



duties as are hereinafter imposed. They shall report at 
the annual meeting and at such other times as they may 
be required to do by the General Board of Managers. 



ARTICLE III. 
PRESIDENT-GENERAL. 

Section i. The President-General, in addition to his gen- 
eral duties, shall be ex-officio chairman of the General Board 
of Managers and of the Executive Committee and a 
member of every other committee. 

Sec. 2. At each annual meeting he shall appoint the fol- 
lowing Standing Committees 

Committee on Auditing, 

" " Correspondence. 

" " Credentials, 

" " Finance, 

" " Organization, 

** " Unfinished Business, 

The duties of the above committees shall be such as 
usually pertain to committees of like character, and such as 
may be defined by the Board of Managers. 

ARTICLE IV. 
VICE-PRESIDENT-GENERAL. 

Section i. In the absence of the President-General one 
of the Honorary Vice-Presidents-General or one of the Vice- 
Presidents-General shall be elected to preside at the Annual 
Meeting. 

Sec. 2. In the prolonged absence or inability to act of 
the President-General the executive authority shall be 
vested in the Vice-President-General first in order of 
precedence. 



12 

ARTICLE V. 
SECRETARY-GENERAL. 

The Secretary-General, in addition to his general duties, 
shall have charge of the seal, give due notice of all meetings 
of the National Society or General Board of Managers, 
of which he shall be ex-officio a member. He shall give 
due notice to all general officers and State Societies of all 
votes, orders, and proceedings affecting or appertaining to 
their duties. He shall distribute all pamphlets, circulars, 
rosettes, and supplies as directed by the General Board of 
Managers. 

ARTICLE VI. 
TREASURER-GENERAL. 

Section i . The Treasurer-General shall collect and receive 
the funds and securities of the National Society. He shall 
deposit the same to the credit of the " Sons of the American 
Revolution " and shall draw them thence for the use of the 
National Society as directed by it or by the General Board 
of Managers upon the order of the President-General, 
countersigned by the Secretary-General. His accounts 
shall be audited by a committee to be appointed at the 
Annual Meeting. 

Sec, 2. He shall, if so required by the General Board of 
Managers or the Executive Committee, give bonds for the 
safe custody and application of the funds. 



ARTICLE VII. 
REGISTRAR-GENERAL. 

The Registrar-General shall keep a Register of the names 
and dates of the election, resignation, or death of all mem- 
bers of the several State Societies, and shall have the care 
and custody of all duplicate applications for membership. 



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He shall issue, upon the requisition of the Secretary or 
Registrar of the several State Societies, certificates of mem- 
bership and insignia to every member entitled thereto, 
through such Secretary or Registrar. 



ARTICLE VIII. 

HISTORIAN-GENERAL. 

The Historian-General shall have the custody of all the 
historical and biographical collections of which the National 
Society may become possessed, and shall catalogue and 
arrange the same, and shall place the same in a fire-proof 
repository for preservation. 

ARTICLE IX. 

CHAPLAIN-GENERAL. 

The Chaplain-General shall be a regularly ordained minis- 
ter, and shall open and close all general meetings of the 
National Society with the services usual and proper on such 
occasions. 

ARTICLE X. 

STATE SOCIETIES. 

Every State Society shall 

(i) Notify the Secretary-General of the election and 
appointment of all officers and delegates. 

(2) Pay to the Treasurer-General on the first day of 
March or within sixty days thereafter the sum of twenty-five 
cents for each active member thereof. 

(3) Transmit to the Registrar-General duplicate appli- 
cations of all accepted members and notify him of the res- 
ignation, or death of all members thereof. 



H 

ARTICLE XI. 
GENERAL BOARD OF MANAGERS. 

Section i. The General Board of Managers shall pre- 
pare and carry out plans for promoting the objects and 
growth of the Society ; shall generally superintend its inter- 
ests and shall execute such other duties as shall be com- 
mitted to it at any meeting of the National Society. It 
shall have charge of the printing of the Diploma and the 
manufacture of the Insignia, and shall determine the price 
at which the same shall be issued. 

Sec. 2. It shall have authority to admit or re-organize 
as a State Society any association of fourteen or more 
persons duly qualified for membership in the Society. 

Sec. 3. It shall have power to fill any vacancy occurring 
among the general officers, and an officer so elected shall 
act until the following annual election and until his successor 
shall be elected. 

Sec. 4. It shall have authority to make, alter, and 
amend the by-laws as hereinafter provided. 

Sec. 5. The President-General may call meetings of the 
General Board of Managers at any time he may deem neces- 
sary, and shall call such meeting upon the written request 
of any five members thereof, provided that not less than five 
days' notice of the time and place of such meeting shall be 
given. 

ARTICLE XII. 
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 

The President-General may call a meeting of the Execu- 
tive Committee at any time, and shall call such meeting on 
the written request of three members thereof. 

ARTICLE XIII. 
SEAL. 

The seal of the Society shall be two and three eighths of 
an inch in diameter, charged with the figure of a minute- 



15 

man grasping a musket in his right hand, and surrounded 
by a constellation of thirteen stars, who shall be depicted 
in the habit of a husbandman of the period of the American 
Revolution and as in the act of deserting the plough for the 
service of his country ; the whole encircled by a band three 
eighths of an inch wide, within which shall appear the legend 
" National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, 
organized April 30, 1889." 

ARTICLE XIV. 
CERTIFICATES. 

All members of the Society, wherever admitted, shall be 
entitled to a certificate of membership duly attested by the 
President-General, Secretary-General, and Registrar-General, 
countersigned by the President, Secretary, and Registrar of 
the State Society, to which such member shall have been 
admitted. 

ARTICLE XV. 
INSIGNIA. 

The Insignia of the Society shall comprise (i) a cross sur- 
mounted by an eagle in gold or silver, (2) a duplicate for the 
same in miniature, (3) a rosette. 

Section i. The Cross shall be of silver, with four arms, 
and eight white enamelled points, same size as Chevaliers* 
Cross of the Legion of Honor of France, with a gold medal- 
lion in the centre, bearing on the obverse a bust of Wash- 
ington in profile, and on the reverse, the figure of a minute- 
man, surrounded by a ribbon enamelled blue, with the 
motto " Libertas et Patria " on the obverse, and the legend, 
" Sons of the American Revolution " on the reverse ; both in 
letters of gold. The cross shall be surmounted by an eagle 
in gold or silver, and the whole decoration suspended from a 
ring of gold by a ribbon of deep blue with white edges, and 
may be worn by any member of the Society on ceremonial 



i6 

occasions only, and shall be carried on the left breast, or, 
if an officer, at the collar. 

Sec. 2. The duplicate shall have all the essential features 
of the cross, but shall be miniature size. 

Sec. 3. The rosette shall be seven sixteenths of an inch 
in diameter, of usual pattern, displaying the colors of the 
Society, and may be worn by all members at discretion in 
the upper left hand button-hole of the coat. 

ARTICLE XVI. 
INDEBTEDNESS. 

No debts shall be contracted on behalf of the National 
Society. Every obligation for the payment of money, ex- 
cept checks drawn against deposits, executed in the name or 
on behalf of the National Society, shall be null and void. 

ARTICLE XVII. 
AMENDMENTS. 

These By-Laws may be altered or amended by a vote of 
three fourths of the members present at any, meeting of 
the General Board of Managers, notice thereof having been 
given at a previous meeting. 




OFFICERS OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY, 
ELECTED APRIL 30, 1890. 

President-General, Dr. WiLLIAM Seward Webb, Vermont. 
Vice-President-General, Hon. LuciUS P. Deming, 

Connecticut. 
" " Gov. Simon Bolivar Buckner, 

Kentucky. 
" " Hon. William H. Arnoux, 

New York. 
" Mr. JOSIAH C. PUMPELLY, 

New Jersey. 
G. Brown Goode, Ph.D., LL.D., 
Washington, D. C. 
Secretary-General, Lieut. James C. Cresap, U. S. N., 

Maryland. 
Treasurer-General, Mr. James Otis, New York. 
Registrar-General, Mr. LutherL. Tarbell, Massachusetts. 
Historian-General, Mr. WiLLIAM F'rancis Cregar, 

Maryland. 
Surgeon-General, WiLLlAM THORNTON PARKER, M.D., 

Rhode Island. 
Chaplain-General, Rev. Charles Edward Cheney, Bishop 
of Illinois, Illinois. 

HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS-GENERAL. 

Admiral David D. Porter, District of Columbia. 
General Joseph E. Johnston, District of Columbia. 
Edwin S. Barrett, Massachusetts. 

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PAST PRESIDENT-GENERAL. 
Hon. Lucius P. Deming, Connecticut. 

HONORARY PAST PRESIDENT-GENERAL. 

Col. A. S. Hubbard, California. 

BOARD OF MANAGERS. 

The General Board of Managers of the National Society 
consists of all the officers of that Society, together with the 
presidents of all State Societies. 

ADDRESSES OF NATIONAL OFFICERS. 

Dr. William Seward Webb, President-General, 

Grand Central Depot, New York City. 
Hon. Lucius P. Deming, Vice-President-General, 

New Haven, Conn. 
Lieut. James C. Cresap, U. S. N., Secretary-General, 

Annapolis, Md. 
Mr. Luther L. Tarbell, Registrar-General, 

Boston, Mass. 
Wm. Francis Cregar, Historian-General, 

Annapolis, Md. 
Wm. Thornton Parker, M.D., Surgeon-General, 

Newport, R. L 
Rt. Rev. Chas. Edward Cheney, D.D., LL.D., Chaplain- 
General, Chicago, 111. 




LIST OF STATE SOCIETIES, DATES OF ORGAN- 
IZATION, AND LIST OF OFFICERS 
ELECTED SINCE MAY i, 1890. 



CALIFORNIA. 
Organized July 4, 1876. 
President, Col, A. S. HUBBARD, San Francisco. 
First Vice-President, CHARLES J. KiNG, San Francisco. 
Secretary and Treasurer, Col. W. B. Eastin, San Francisco. 

NEW JERSEY. 
Organized March 7, 1SS9. 
President, JosiAH C. PUMPELLY, Morristown. 
Secretary, J. LAWRE^•CE BOGGS, Jr., Newark. 
Treasurer, Paul Revere, Morristown. 
Registrar, JOHN WHITEHEAD, Morristown. 

CONNECTICUT. 

Organized April 2, 1889. 
President, JONATHAN TRUMBULL, Norwich. 
Secretary, LUCIUS F. ROBINSON, Hartford. 
Treasurer, ROLAND B. Lacey, Bridgeport. 
Registrar, J. G. Woodward, Hartford. 

VERMONT. 

Organized April 2, 1889. 
President, Hon. GEORGE G. BENEDICT, Burlington. 
Secretary, C. S. FoRBES, St. Albans. 
Treasurer, William H. Zottman, Burlington. 
Registrar, Hon. HiRAM A. HUSE, Montpelier. 

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SOUTH CAROLINA. 

Organized April i8, iSSg. 
President, Hon. J. P. RiCHARDSOX, Columbia. 
Secretary and Registrar, U. R. BROOKS, Columbia. 
Treasurer, A. P. Brown, Columbia. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 
Organized April ig, i88g. 
President, Hon. CHARLES H. Saunders, Cambridge. 
Secretary, Alfred L. Brooks Fry, Boston. 
Treasurer, Col. John L. Stevenson, Boston. 
Registrar, L. L. Tarbell, Boston. 

MARYLAND. 
Organized April 20, 1889. 
President, Gen. Bradley T. Johnson, Baltimore. 
Secretary, John R. Dorsey, Baltimore. 
Treasurer, Francis Putnam Stevens, Baltimore. 
Registrar, Wm. Francis Cregar, Annapolis. 

OHIO. 

Organized April 22, i88g. 

President, Rev. Wilson R. Parsons, Worthington. 
Secretary and Treasurer, Henry A. WILLIAMS, Columbus. 

KENTUCKY. 

Organized April 23, 1889. 
President, Hon. WILLIAM Lindsay, Frankfort. 
Secretary, JOHN W. BUCHANAN, Louisville. 
Treasurer, Grant Green, Frankfort. 
Registrar, E. Porter Thompson, Frankfort. 

MISSOURL 
Organized April 23, 1S89. 
President, JOSIAH FOGG, St. Louis. 
Registrar and Secretary, H. J. Bliss, St. Louis. 
Treasurer, Dr. Charles E. Briggs, St. Louis. 



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TENNESSEE. 

Organized December 2, 1889. 
President, Rev. D. C. Kelly, D.D., Nashville. 
Secretary and Treasurer, JOSEPH G. Branch, Nashville. 

MINNESOTA. 

Organized December 26, 1889. 
President, Hon. ALBERT Edgerton, St. Paul. 
Secretary and Treasurer, A. S, Tallmadge, St. Paul. 

WISCONSIN. 

Organized January 14, 1890. 
President, DON J. WhittemORE. 
Secretary, Capt. Chas. King, U. S. A., Milwaukee. 
Registrar, WiLLlAM W. Wight, Milwaukee. 
Treasurer, Paul D. Carpenter, Milwaukee. 

INDIANA. 

Organized January 16, 1S90. 
President, Hon. WILL E. ENGLISH, Indianapolis. 
Secretary, Charles W. Moores, Indianapolis. 
Treasurer, Rev. C. H. McDowell, Indianapolis. 
Registrar, David E. Snyder, Indianapolis. 

MICHIGAN. 

Organized January 18, 1890. 
President, Hon. H. B. Ledyard, Detroit. 
Secretary and Treastirer, Frederick T. Sibley, Detroit. 
Registrar, SiLAS Farmer, Detroit. 

DELAWARE. 

Organized January 29, 1S90. 
President, Hon. THOMAS F. Bayard, Wilmington. 
Secretary and Trcas., Albert W. Cummins, Wilmington. 
Registrar, L. B. Jones, Wilmington. 



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WEST VIRGINIA. 
Organized January 31, 1890. 
Presidait, Hon. John J. Jacobs, Wheeling. 
Secretary and Registrar , Hon. Geo. L. Cranmer, Wheeling. 
Treasurer, Robert White, Wheeling. 

ALABAMA. 

Organized February 10, 1S90. 
President, Capt. JOSEPH F. JOHNSTON, Birmingham. 
Secretary and Treasurer, Col. St. Geo. T. C. Bryan, 
Birmingham. 

ARKANSAS. 

Organized February it, i8go. 
President, Col. SAMUEL W. WILLIAMS, Little Rock. 
Secretary, Prof. JOSIAH H. Shinn, Little Rock. 
Treasjtrer, Hon. James Mitchel, Little Rock. 

ILLINOIS. 

Organized February ii, iSgo. 

Vice-President, Rt. Rev. Chas. E. Cheney, D.D., LL.D., 

Chicago. 
Secretary, Capt. Richard Robins, Chicago. 
Treasurer, HoRATio L. Wait, Chicago. 
Registrar, John D. Vandercrook, Chicago. 

NEW YORK. 
Organized February ii, 1890. 
President, Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, LL.D., New York 

City. 
Secretary, Edmund C. Stanton, New York City. 
Treasurer, James Otis, New York City. 

RHODE ISLAND. 

Organized February, 1890. 
President, Rev. E. B. Andrews, D.D., Providence. 
Secretary, Theodore F. Tillinghast, Providence. 
Treasurer, Olney Arnold, Providence. 
Registrar, EDWARD FIELD. 



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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

Organized April 21, 1890. 
President, Admiral D. D. PORTER, U. S. Navy. 
Corresponding Secretary, W. C. Winlock, Washington. 
Recording Secretary, F. O. St. Clair, Washington. 
Treasurer, Col. MARSHALL McDonald, Washington. 
Registrar, G. BROWNE GOODE, Ph.D., Washington. 

NEBRASKA. 
Organized April 26, 1890. 
President, C. S. CHASE, Omaha. 
Secretary, NATHAN J. BURNHAM, Omaha. 
Treasurer, W. W. Copeland, Omaha. 
Registrar. Rev. LUTHER M. KUHNS, Omaha. 

LOUISIANA. 
Organized May 16, 1890. 
President, Hon. Wm. H. Jack, Natchitoches. 
Secretary, T. JONES CROSS, Baton Rouge. 
Treasurer, Hon. W. H. Pn'ES, Baton Rouge. 
Registrar, JACOB Mc WILLIAMS, Baton Rouge. 



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